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Well, once again, good morning and welcome. Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 14. Revelation chapter 14. I'm happy to be in chapter 14 today. It's such a bright spot. We get to have a vision, a vision of the first fruits. And it's in a chapter where we get to see a lot about the heart of God as we do, the heart of God and really the harvest of the earth.

Let me go ahead and just read the first five verses. Chapter 14, verse 1. Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000, having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a loud thunder.

And the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth.

These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves. Chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, and no lie was found in their mouth.

They are blameless. Well, just to give you an idea of where we are, if you look back at chapter 11, verse 15, then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven. So we're going through those trumpets. We've gone through the seals. We've gone and opened up the seventh seal.

The seventh seal becomes seven trumpets. And then we've looked at the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth trumpet. And then in chapter 11, verse 15, the seventh trumpet sounds. But if you'll notice, the bowls, the seventh trumpet turns into seven bowls. Well, that doesn't happen until chapter 16.

So in this interlude, in this period between the seventh trumpet or the blowing of the seventh trumpet and the pouring of the first bowl, you have a lot of background and overview information being given about this final conflict between good and evil. Look at chapter 12. Chapter 12 informs us that this final conflict isn't.

New. It's an ancient conflict between good and evil. You've got the dragon who's making his last and furious stand, last rage against God, against the one sitting upon the throne and his lamb. Chapter 12 is about the woman, depiction of national Israel, her child, the Christ who is to rule the nations, and the dragon's attack against first the child, the woman, he's expelled from heaven.

And so his last stand is that of a general in retreat. This final conflict between good and evil that will manifest itself in the final days is really a general in retreat. It's an emotional rage. It's one last spite against heaven. And chapter 13 then informs us that this last stand upon earth, or the last stand, is number one, it's upon earth, and it will have a political component.

That is the beast that comes out of the sea, the Antichrist. There will be political control over the world. But it will also have a religious control. Want to also control the way one thinks about God. And the two go. Together, and that's the beast from the earth, the false prophet.

And so, in chapter 13, you see this picture of the negative side of the conflict. You see the dragon in all his power, the beast from the sea, and the beast from the earth in all their powerful heyday. It will last 42 months. And they will even have a seemingly victory over the saints.

13:7 said, It was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. So, even the saints are going to be worn down. But then you come to chapter 14, and this gives us a whole different vision of the conflict. It gives us the other side of the coin.

As you see, evil raging and all of its conspiring against heaven and against his anointed, and specifically against those who follow him. Then you see in chapter 14 the positive side of this conflict. It tells us how it's going to turn out before going into the specifics of the bold judgments that begin in chapter 16.

And what's evident as you go through these verses in chapter 14 is who's in control. Though the dragon rages, it is that, it is that. Is a rage, it has a shelf life, but that God is in control. The Lamb is in control. It is to him the obedience of the nations is ultimately given.

But what's happening is that all these satanic attempts to control the world politically and religiously, all these attempts to pervert the faith of the saints will come to nothing. And so, as I've looked at chapter 14, I've divided it into two major sections: the heart of God and the harvest of the earth.

I'll begin looking at the heart of God this morning. The heart of God and the harvest of the earth. Part one. Today we get a vision of these first fruits. We get a unique glimpse into the heart of God, specifically as it relates to the protection of his people, the vindication of his people, his reign with his people, his desire to fellowship with his people.

We get this vision this morning, and just sufficient to rest our minds and hearts and be encouraged. From what we see in these verses this morning. And that's what I want us to do. I just want us to look upon this vision of the first fruits. It's something that John saw, then I looked, verse 1, and behold, something he saw.

It's even something he heard, verse 2, and I heard. So it's something he took in by sight and by sound. And I want us to look upon this and just spend our morning upon it to encourage us to be faithful in the times we face. We're not the 144,000.

They have their unique time and place. And as we look upon them and their faithfulness and their protection and their vindication, I hope that it will encourage you to be faithful in the times that you face. So, first of all, I just want to look at this vision of the first fruits.

First, as the first fruits, and these are, this comes from verse 4, they have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. These are the first fruits. And first of all, it's evident from verse 1 that they will, as first fruits, reign with Christ.

Verse 1, then I looked, and behold. I took in a scene. I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000, having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads. I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing. The verb is literally, the lamb having taken his stand.

That's the idea. The lamb, he was there in his God-given stand. He had taken his stand. Despite all the raging that is happening in chapter 13, with the rise of the Antichrist, the rise of the false prophet, there he is. John looks up, and behold, the lamb has taken his stand upon Mount Zion.

Remember Psalm 2. Very reminiscent. Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us.

He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Then he will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury, saying, But as for me, I have installed my king. Upon my holy mountain, upon Zion, my holy mountain. You will have the nations as your inheritance.

You will break them with a rod of iron. Take discernment, O kings. Worship the Lord. And so there he is. He sees them standing on Mount Zion, and this is literal Mount Zion. This isn't some spiritual counterpart in the heavenly Jerusalem. The dragon has already been cast out of heaven.

His rage is happening on the earth. The focus is in Jerusalem, as chapter 11. He has been cast out. The scene is Jerusalem. And besides all this, the Lamb is already established in heaven. He is on his throne. No, this is something unique. Literally, Mount Zion, there in Jerusalem, the vicinity of, there is the Lamb, having taken his stand there, despite all the political upheavals and control and religious control of the Antichrist, his beast, and powered by the dragon.

There is Christ standing, having taken his stand. But notice he's not there alone. And behold, The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000. Who are they? Well, it's the same 144,000 that we've already met in Revelation chapter 7. Do you remember in that interlude between the opening of the sixth seal and the seventh seal?

I'll just read it. Revelation chapter 7:1. After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God.

And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their forehead. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.

So, in contrast to those who took the mark of the beast, you have these who were marked with the seal of God. And they bear the Lamb's name. They bear the Lamb's father's name written on their forehead. By the way, it's Clear that this is not the church, this 144,000.

They are clearly not the Old Testament saints. This is clearly not a reference to the church, and it's not a reference to the Redeemed of all time, as many suggest. To take them as such destroys the first fruits analogy. The whole first fruits analogy is that these 144,000 are just a first fruits, implying there is more to come.

It speaks of the quality, but also the abundance. Jesus Christ, you remember, he was the first fruits from the dead, speaking qualitatively of who he was. He was uniquely the first one that came out, resurrected body. He is the firstborn from the dead. 1 Corinthians refers to him.

The first of many more. That's the whole analogy. And these 144,000 are a special group of people who endure the greatest challenges to pervert the faith in church history or in human history. There is systematic persecution. There is institutional deception. There is great social pressure to pervert the faith.

And yet they remain loyal to Christ. What is being brought forth or showcased about these individuals is their incorruptible loyalty. That's the Character and more like these, yet distinct from these, are going to come. And so it's certainly first fruits. Another question asked about these 144,000: are they martyred or not?

Some suggest that they were all martyred, some suggest they all survived. But sometimes I think we pose the wrong question. Because if you look at verse 13:10, it says, If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes. If anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed.

Here is the perseverance and faith of the saints. I think the emphasis is not upon whether or not they were martyred, but upon their refusal to be unfaithful to Christ. They're going to be faithful to Christ no matter what. And some may be martyred. Some may have to watch those they loved be martyred.

Some may have to endure captivity. Some may have to endure who knows what else. But this 144,000, the emphasis isn't so much whether all of them were martyred or all of them were not martyred. It seems that some of them at least were getting worn down, that there was power given to the beast to overcome them.

We see that the two witnesses. In chapter 11, even they are going to be killed by the beast, and they are going to be resurrected in the sight of everyone. So, certainly, it stands to reason that many of these died. I don't know if it's necessary that they all died, but again, the emphasis here is not so much upon Satan trying to kill as many as he can, but to pervert their loyalty.

And that's what Satan is about. He is about perverting your loyalty to Christ. Just like he will be with these people about perverting their loyalty to Christ, so he is very much active today seeking to pervert your loyalty to Christ. And he does it through fleshly temptations, he does it through vain pursuits, he does it through social pressures, he does it by causing you to be ashamed of his word, neglecting his word, all these kinds of things.

But these 144,000 are devoted to him, and they will reign with him. So, who are they? Well, the answers have already been given to us. They're specifically from the nation Israel. God remembers all of his promises. In fact, in Romans 11:25, Paul says this: For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this.

Mystery, so that you will not be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved. Just as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

This is my covenant with them when I take away their sins. And certainly, if you look at chapter 9 and verse 21, what happens? After all these trumpets are blown, seals are opened, trumpets are blown, there's great multitude coming to Christ. These are from all the different nations.

And then in chapter 20, or at chapter 9, verse 20, it says, The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons and the idols of gold and silver and of brass and stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.

And they did not repent of their murderers nor their sorceries nor their immorality nor of their thefts. So by the end of chapter 9, it seems like we're getting close. If not the full number of the Gentiles has come in, you have a shift of focus. Then, beginning in chapter 10 and specifically chapter 11 on Jerusalem and the change, the removal of the ungodliness from the Lord.

From Jacob. So, who are these first fruits? Well, it's already told us they're from the nation of Israel. They are the first fruits of a repentant Israel, those who have the ungodliness removed. But they are also the first fruits of all those who will reign with Christ. Not just a picture of that one nation and how God's going to rule and through whom Christ is going to rule, but it's also a picture of the first fruits of all those who will reign with Christ.

There will be many nations. So, first of all, it's clear these first fruits from verse 1 is that they will reign with Christ. There they are with him. After all the attacks and efforts, there they are, and they will reign with him. Second, as first fruits, they will sing a unique song.

And I love this. Look at verse 2. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of loud thunder. And the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. John hears a voice from heaven.

So, again, in contrast to earth, indicating that this Mount Zion is he's seen this from an earthly perspective, then out of heaven he Hears this voice. And the voice is clearly not the 144,000, but it's that of angels in unison. It's a voice. It's like, remember in Revelation 5:11?

Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders. And the number of them was myriads of myriads and thousands upon thousands. Innumerable about, but John refers to them as one voice. I heard the voice of many angels, not the voices of many angels.

I heard the voice of many angels. It is the voice. I heard a voice from heaven, a voice of unison. And look how he describes it. Three remarkable comparisons. Think about this voice. Like the sound of many waters. Ever heard the sound of many waters? Been in a waterfall?

It's powerful. It's full. It drowns out everything else. You have to shout to be heard. Like the sound of many waters. Also, like the sound of thunder. Think about thunder. Boom. Loud. Striking. Captivating. It's noticeable. It's unavoidable. The sound of many waters. Boom. But at this point, there's a third description, like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.

So it's beautiful. It's a melody. So if you put all this together, it's an awe-inspiring, melodious harmony of voices that drowns out everything else. That's the sound that he hears. That's the voice. But as we keep reading, we learn that it's a song. It's a new song. Look at verse 3.

And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth. So he's hearing the song. That's another evidence that it's not the 144,000 because 144,000 are the learners of the song.

Humanly speaking, only the 144,000 can learn this song. They are the learners of the song. And the reason why they are the only ones who could learn this song is they're the only ones who went through what they went through. They were purchased from the earth. So you get this throne room scene.

We've seen the throne, we've seen the elders, we've seen the living creatures, we've seen the myriads and myriads singing in unison, sing all that. So here, with this view, it's like this: there's John. He sees the Lamb there with this 144,000 followers, and then all of this huge chorus.

It's a very live, and vivid, and exciting, and joyful, and worshipful scene. See, the goal, they had been purchased from the earth. Literally, they had been bought, they had been redeemed. And you can be sure that one of the goals of redemption is worship, to worship Him to them, to this group.

It's clear it's a unique song. No one else, humanly speaking, is able to learn this song. You know why? Because it was given to them to magnify God with a unique song. A song that can only be learned out of their unique times, out of these unique circumstances, and God's deliverance through it all.

That's how they come to be a singer. A singer. They can learn the song. They can worship God with this voice, a new voice, a new song, because of what they have gone through and what they have experienced. In fact, you remember Moses' song after the deliverance from Egypt.

His song was about redemption. His song was about deliverance. And it came out of his unique time and his unique place. Listen, we all have a song to sing. We all have our God-given, unique times and places. We have our unique opportunities to magnify God with the voice that He has given us, to magnify Him in our situation, in our circumstances.

I don't care who you are. You have a unique time, a unique place, and it's given to you so that you may magnify God with a new voice. You can sing the song that only you can sing. Just like these. It's clear that others are going to participate in the song of redemption.

We all, in one shape or form, have been redeemed. I mean, we've all been redeemed in one shape or form. We're going to sing our own unique song, add our unique strain to the full orchestra and chorus of heaven, proclaiming how great God is. And let me tell you what He did in my life.

Circumstances, let me tell you what he did. Oh, yeah, let me hear what he did in yours. Let me hear. And so the same is true about these 144,000. But they're going to sing a strain, a verse, a song of that greater song of redemption that is unique to them because it comes out of their unique circumstances.

They were purchased by Christ, and they will worship Him for His redemption and deliverance in their unique circumstances. And this is certainly a unique time in history. So, as first fruits, they will reign with Christ. Second, they will sing a unique song. And third, they will be singularly devoted to Christ.

They will be singularly devoted to Christ. You know, when God redeems a person, He also has a place for that person. When He saves us from something, He saves us for something. We were purchased by Christ, but we're also purchased for Christ. Just like these men here. These men were not only purchased by Christ, they were purchased for Christ.

One thing is clear about these men. This is a unique class. They will prove to be loyal to Christ in the most satanically controlled political and religious environment in Earth's history. They are singularly devoted to Christ. And their devotion to Christ stands out in three areas. Look at verse 4.

First area is their sexual purity. Look at verse 4. These. Literally, these ones. And that's going to say it three times. These ones, these ones, these ones. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. They're going to be a big contrast to their society.

They prefer Christ to any form of fleshly indulgence, especially that in view here is that of sexual perversion. And at a time when sexual perversion is mainstream, even more so than our times now, they choose to imitate Christ. They will live in a time when there are Proverbs seven women everywhere.

But they are skilled in keeping them at a distance. Notice that it's passive. These are ones who have not been defiled. In other words, they have not been stained, they have not been polluted by the sexual pressures of their time. That's looking out for them, that's trying to find them.

They're like, no, they have learned the skill in keeping the Proverbs 7 women away, keeping them at a distance. They are very skilled at that, so as to not allow them to be polluted. Allow the women to pollute them. Now, it's important that we do not read into this, meaning that legitimate sexual relationships within marriage defiles a person.

It doesn't. Hebrews 13:4 makes that very clear. Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled. So the marriage bed is expected to be undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers, God will judge. So we're not talking about legitimate sexual relations within marriage.

That doesn't defile a person, and that's not what's being said here. What it is saying is that these men are not the kind of men who are engaging in illicit sexual practices, just like those I just read in chapter 9 and verse 21. They didn't want to repent of their murders or their sexual.

Immoralities. And there's usually an association between the two. Murder and sexual sin often go together, especially in the case of unwanted children. But in others as well, you take away the sexual perversion. I just wonder how much of the murder left in this would be left. It would certainly be reduced.

But what it is saying about these men is that they're above reproach in the area of sexual purity. And perhaps there's a word here. They have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. The word could be chaste, like in terms of sexually pure, which may give an indication they could be married, or it could also be translated virgin.

They had kept themselves virgin. They may be like Paul or Jeremiah, because of the distresses of the time, feel that it's good not to marry and to be singularly devoted to Christ. And that may very well be the implication here. But one thing is very clear. Either way, they are sexually above reproach.

They are singularly devoted to Christ in the area of sexual relationships. And I realize that as we look at our times and men of our times and women of our times for that, many people struggle in this area. I want you to look upon these men for just a moment.

They don't have any resources other than what you and I have, and yet they know how to keep themselves sexually pure. They know how to keep the distance, keep the Proverbs 7 women. They know the accesses. They know the doors and the places. They know where her corner is.

And they know. They learn. So, the first area of devotion that stands out with these people, sexually pure. Second, they go wherever he goes. They want to go wherever he goes. Look back at verse 4. These ones, again, these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

These, these ones have been purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. You know what following Christ means? Following Christ means to adhere to His instructions and to promote His cause. That's what basically being a follower of Christ is: to adhere to His instructions and to always be about promoting His cause.

That is. Description of these men. There were no, they allowed no rivals alongside him. They have no refusals to him. And there is no restraint in their dedication to him. When he needs them to speak on his behalf, they speak, they speak without flinching. They speak regardless of the sacrifice.

They are not ashamed of his words. They go wherever he goes, wherever he leads, whatever he instructs, and whatever promotes his cause, they are there, singularly devoted to Christ and his cause. That's who these men are. They followed him on earth during the worst of times. And here we see a scene where they will accompany him in the best of times.

They are gifts. They are gifts to Christ. Like the mighty men given to David. You know, if you're going to have a kingdom and you're going to need to set up rule, you're going to need some loyalty in your ranks. And here's the gift: like the mighty men given to David, these 144,000 from the nation of Israel seem to be this loyal, administrative, priestly entourage that serve him throughout the millennium.

They go where he goes. It's interesting to me how many people want to replace the 144,000s, the 144,000 with the church. No, this is really the church. Or they somehow feel like there's a blessing given to this 144,000 and they want it for themselves. So they many want to replace the 144,000 with themselves or the churches, the benefactors.

It's like there's this theologically coveting going on of their blessings. No, this is a unique group. Firstfruits, might I add? First fruits, more to come. We're included. May not be uniquely them, but blessed among them. Listen, I don't have to sit at the head of the table to enjoy the meal.

I've enjoyed doing a lot of weddings this last month. I just yesterday, part of a great reception afterwards, I didn't have to sit right next to the groom in order to enjoy the fellowship around the table. I don't have to be first in heaven to be able to enjoy heaven.

Listen, I look at these 144,000, I see this vision, I think about what the Lamb has gone through, and I am thankful that God has given him mighty men like this. He deserves it. I'm happy for the 144,000. I don't have to replace them with myself or somehow covet what they have.

I can be excited for them. I can be excited for the nation of Israel that they will have gifts like this given to them who will lead them in righteousness. I can be thankful. I don't have to covet what they have because I know these are first fruits.

I know that there is no partiality with God, and I know that he is good. And they're servants. They're going to set the table. Listen, just being in the room is proximity enough to the greatest blessings of all time. What I do want to learn from these 144,000 is I want to be like them.

I want to be faithful in my times as they are faithful in their times, and I know I have the same resources that they have. So I can look at them as an encouragement. But there's a third way that they are devoted. Not only do they their devotion to Christ stands out in the area of sexual purity, and they go wherever he goes.

Third, they walk in truth. Look at what it says in verse 5. And no lie. Was found in their mouth. They are blameless. Nothing deceitful, no pseudo-truth can be found in their mouth. They always tell the truth, number one, and they always proclaim the truth. More importantly, but their speech reflects their heart.

They're not ashamed of the truth. They love the truth more than they love their own lives. And they don't have to give in to pseudo-truths. They always tell the truth. You couldn't find it in their mouth. Blameless. I'm happy for Israel that such leadership is in their future.

I'm happy for the nations. I'm happy for Christ. I'm happy for the church. They're good. This vision is so beautiful. Despite all the raging, there he is, having taken his stand. He sits in heaven. He reigns. And that rain will take its stand. Upon the earth. That's why I'm optimistic about the future.

It's because I know who holds the future. Not just individually, but for the whole planet. Well, as first fruits, they will reign with Christ. As first fruits, they will sing a unique song. As first fruits, they will follow Christ wherever he goes. They will singularly be devoted to him.

This vision, we're not the 144,000. But this should encourage us to see men who are faithful in the most difficult of times. Should encourage us to be faithful in the times that we have, to sing our unique song, to rejoice. It's the same heart, the same heart of God is being revealed here.

As He vindicated and protected this 144,000, he will protect and vindicate you and I. As Christ desires to reign in fellowship with this 144,000, so he desires to reign in fellowship with all of his people. Does so then? So now. And with this, we can rejoice and be encouraged today to magnify God with a new song that rises out of your circumstances, regardless of what you're facing.

May you be like these men who reign with Him, who sing a unique song, who go wherever He leads now and later. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for these eternal truths that you have written that we might look upon these words and be encouraged and be fed and be inspired to live for you in our times, regardless of what you call us to do.

What a joy, what a privilege. Thank you, Father. In Jesus' name, amen.